Fissocantharis gracilipes (Pic, 1927)

Yang, Yuxia, Li, Limei, Guan, Kaile & Yang, Xingke, 2015, Taxonomy of Fissocantharis Pic (Coleoptera, Cantharidae) from Guangxi, China, with descriptions of six new species, ZooKeys 489, pp. 95-123 : 98-100

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Cantharidae

Fissocantharis gracilipes (Pic, 1927) Figs 1B, 3D‒F, 8B, 9B

Fissopodabrus gracilipes Pic, 1927: 2.

Micropodabrus gracilipes : Wittmer 1982: 127; 1988: 351, figs 5, 24, 25.

Fissocantharis gracilipes : Yang et al. 2009: 49.

Type material examined.

Holotype: 1♂ (MNHN): [p]"Tonkin \ Chapa\ 3.V.1918 \ Jeanvoine", [h]" Fissopodabrus \ gracilipes n. sp.", [h]" Micropodabrus \ gracilipes \ (Pic) \ det. W. Wittmer", [p] “TYPE”.

Additional material examined.

1♂, 1♀ (MHBU): CHINA: Guangxi, Wuming, Damingshan, 600‒900m, 25.V.2011, leg. H.Y. Liu; 2♂♂ (MHBU): same locality and collector, 27.V.2011, 1100m; 2♀♀ (MHBU): same locality and collector, 20.V.2011, 1230‒1423m.

Redescription.

Male (Fig. 1B). Head black, mouthparts blackish brown, light brown at bases of mandibles and labium, antennae black, prothorax yellow, pronotum with a large blackish brown marking in middle of disc, which extending nearly from anterior to posterior margin, scultellum black, elytra blue, with strong metallic shine, legs black, yellow at coxae, trochanters and ventral sides of femora and tibiae, meso- and metasterna and abdomen black. Body densely covered with short decumbent dark brown pubescence, also mixed with slightly long semierect pubescence along anterior margin of labrum and on disc of elytra.

Head subquadrate, temples evenly narrowed posteriad, surface semilustrous, finely and densely punctate; eyes strongly protruding, head breadth across eyes distinctly wider than anterior margin of pronotum; maxillary palpomeres IV longer than wide, widest at apical one-third, arcuate and sharp at apical parts of inner margins; antennae filiform, almost extending to apical one-fourth length of elytra, antennomeres II slightly longer than wide at apices, III about twice as long as II, IV slightly longer than III, IV‒XI each with an oblong smooth scar-like bulge at basal part of outer margin, XI slightly longer than X and pointed at apices.

Pronotum about 1.17 times longer than wide, widest near base, anterior margin rounded, anterior angle rounded, lateral margins sinuate, moderately diverging posteriorly, posterior angle nearly rectangular, posterior margin arcuate and slightly bordered, disc distinctly convex on posterolateral parts, surface semilustrous, sparsely and finely punctate.

Elytra about 4.0 times longer than pronotum, 3.3 times longer than humeral width, lateral margins nearly parallel, disc surface semilustrous, rugulose-lacunose and finely punctate.

All tarsal claws bifid, upper claws nearly as long as lower claws.

Aedeagus (Fig. 3D‒F): conjoint dorsal plate of parameres greatly reduced, slightly roundly protuberant in middle of apical margin; ventral process of each paramere abruptly narrowed apically, slightly hooked at apex.

Female. Similar to male, but eyes not so protruding; antennae shorter, extending to elytral mid-length, antennomeres IV‒XI without bulges; pronotum slightly wider, about 1.10 times longer than wide, moderately convex at posterolateral parts of disc. Abdominal sternite VIII (Fig. 8B) slightly emarginated on both sides of posterior margin, middle part between lateral emarginations arcuate, latero-apical angles widely rounded. Internal organ of reproductive system (Fig. 9B): vagina stout and abruptly narrowed and extended into a long duct above median oviduct; diverticulum and spermathecal duct arising from the end of the long duct of vagina; diverticulum slightly long, thin and spiral; spermathecal duct distinctly thicker and nearly as long as diverticulum; spermatheca composed of a spiral tube which is distinctly longer than diverticulum, provided with a very long and thin accessory gland which is much longer than the spiral tube of spermatheca; median oviduct situated in middle of vagina.

Body length: 9.0‒12.0 mm; width: 1.5‒2.5 mm.

Distribution.

China (new country record: Guangxi); Vietnam.

Remarks.

The elytra of the holotype are purple, but the coloration could be variable in cantharid species bearing a metallic shine, not only in Fissocantharis , but also in Themus Motschulsky. By contrast, the characteristics of the aedeagus and antennae of the male are much more stable and reliable, which are the basis of our determination of the additional specimens as this species.